A 1909-S VDB whose mint mark is very convincing, however, it’s off by a hair, has casting artifacts and is a bit too small in diameter.

When the mint mark position (in red) and thickness is mapped to the four known mint mark locations for the 1909-S VDB (outlined in black), it is about a serif’s-width north of where it should be.

The VDB lacks detail and is very, very shallowly struck. The middle bar of the B seems to be horizontal (where it should be angled). Also, around it to the left and above the V, there appear to be flow marks from molten metal.

Where it is mostly smooth (worn or pocketized), in the recesses of the devices and places in the fields close to the devices there are apparent casting artifacts (little chinks in the casting medium where molten metal filled in). This is also consistent with it’s slightly narrower diameter.

Steve Caruso (MLIS, GSNA R-2306) is the 'curator' of The Black Cabinet, the online database and physical reference library of counterfeit American coinage. His most avid interest is in contemporary counterfeit coins currently in circulation.